Improvement in jewelry-fastenings



W. P- DOLLOFF. Jewelry-Fastening.

No. 206,777. v Patented Aug. 6.1878

WlTNESSES INVENTOR ATTOR N EY UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

WELLINGTON P. DOLLOFF, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEM ENT IN J EWELRY-FASTENINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,777, dated August 6, 1878; application filed April 27, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WELLINGTON P. DoL- LOFF, of Providence, in the State of -Rhode Island, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in J ewelry-Fastenings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construe tion and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of this invention applied to a bracelet in perspective. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing the parts of a collar-button. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the fastening, and Fig. 4 is a modification showing the means of applying a single branch spring.

The nature of the invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of a clasp formed of a piece of wire double at its center to form a shank, and having its free ends formed into reverted spring branches inclined toward the shank portion, the double shank being rigidly secured to one end of the male portion and the spring branches being adapted to engage the reverted ends with a slot or opening in the receiving female portion, as will be hereinafter more fully shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, the letterA designates the male, and B the female, portion of the fastening. The latter part is formed with an oblong opening, I), having an internal flange or lip, c, at its margin. Sometimes a round opening will suffice.

The male portion, A, consists of a base, d, and the spring shank or catch a, which is, preferably, formed by bending a piece of spring or spring-wire centrally, thereby doabling the same to form the central portion, 0, of the shank, and bending branches f backward obliquely toward the base, these branches being again bent at the ends g toward the shank portion 6 in a gently-inclined manner, forming obtuse or wide angles with the main portions of the branches f, as shown in the drawings.

The angular portions are, therefore, farthest from the central shank e, and the spring branches f extend from said angular portions toward the shank in rear as well as in front, being gently inclined in each direction, so as to be readily compressed by the lip of the opening I) when the catch is inserted in said opening and when it is pulled apart therefrom. When the spring-catch is inserted in the opening 1) and pressed home the inclined ends 9 act as shoulders under the lip c, and the fastening is thereby secured against casual disconnection, which is all that is usually required in articles of the character to which this class is designed to be applied. In disconnecting it is only necessary to pull the portions A and B steadily apart, as the lip c, acting upon the reverted ends g, forces the spring branches toward the shank until it rides over the angles 70. and is released.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The jewelry-clasp formed of a piece of wire double at its center to form a shank, a, and having its free ends 9 formed into reverted sprin gbranches inclined toward the shank portion, the double shank being rigidly connected to the portion A, and the spring branches f being adapted to engage, by the revertedends, with a slot or opening in the receiving end B, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

WELLINGTON P. DOLLOFF.

Witnesses:

Jos. T. Rica, WALTER I). Yixonx'r. 

